The origins of
the horror genre can be traced back to Germany, and the most successful of
early American horror films often imitated them. The success of American horror
relied on the imitation of German filmmaking, so it is disheartening to watch Heilstätten, a film which simply feels
like a cheap German imitation of The
Blair Witch Project. Derivative in every aspect of filmmaking and
narrative, Heilstätten has a few
sincere scares but offers absolutely nothing new to the genre. Even in terms of
the sub-genre of found-footage horror, it lacks any originality beyond a clever
third-act twist.

Biopics have
become as expected during award season as superhero movies during the summer
(or any other time of the year, at this point), and Bohemian Rhapsody fits the bill perfectly. Not only does it have
the usual narrative trappings of a musical biopic and a performance that
carries the film, the last twenty-minutes of the film are basically just a
recreation of Queen’s most iconic concert. It is also ironic that so much
dedication was spent on accurately recreating this concert when basic life
events are incorrect in the screenplay. Although this was most certainly done
for dramatic effect, the very same people who would be most likely to
appreciate the accuracy of the Live Aid section might also be annoyed by the
changes made to Freddie Murcury’s life story.

Before Greta
Gerwig’s Lady Bird, there was Diane
Kurys’ Peppermint Soda, a French
coming-of-age film in the tradition of The
400 Blows. Like many of the best coming-of-age films, it is largely
autobiographical and therefore extremely personal, and yet there is also
something extremely universal about the narrative. Despite being specific to
the era that Kurys grew up in (the film takes place during the early 1960s) and
made in the late ‘70s, there is something that will always be timeless about
growing up.

CJ 4DPLEX is a
technology company that is probably best known for their 4D technology, which
started in South Korea but has expanded across the globe with increasing
momentum over the last decade. Although 4DX is certainly impressive enough,
ScreenX is an even more recent innovation in the efforts toward a more
immersive cinematic experience. I have heard ScreenX described as IMAX, but
with the image being wider instead of taller, though this doesn’t quite do the
experience justice. While IMAX may give you more to look at, ScreenX is more
about utilizing peripheral vision in order to feel as though you are inside the
film. I think a more apt description would be to compare it to 3D, without the
need for glasses or the use of cheap gimmicks.

Maybe I’m the
real Grinch, because I was instantly annoyed by the news that Illumination
Entertainment had decided to adapt the classic holiday cartoon into a
feature-length animated film. The material had already been stretched out
before, for Ron Howard’s live-action version, which I was also an adamant
critic of. Only the news of Benedict Cumberbatch providing the voice gave me
hope that the film might have a deep English accent to remind me of Boris
Karloff’s iconic narration. From the moment I heard Cumberbatch’s annoying
American accent for the Grinch, I knew I was destined to hate the film. Equally
disappointing was Pharrell Williams as the narrator, who sounds like a dad
reading a book to his kids with the purpose of getting them to fall asleep.

Some films
demand a second viewing, because they are extremely complex or because they are
simply that good. The Girl in the
Spider’s Web is neither of these. It is a film that demanded a second
viewing, because it is that forgettable. Despite having seen it in theaters
mere months ago, I found myself struggling to remember even basic plot
elements. The one thing I had a distinct recollection of, even before repeat
viewings, was the drastic changes to the narrative from the original Swedish
films. This is likely because this is based on the fourth book in the series,
which was not written by creator Stieg Larsson. Also, as per usual, Hollywood has neutered
and boxed in what was once an innovative franchise. Even more pointless than
the first American installment, and lacking the distinct visual flair of David
Fincher, The Girl in the Spider’s Web
simply turns the dark series into a generic espionage action film.

Seemingly coming
out of nowhere for most audience members, The
Wife has quickly become the frontrunner for one of the Academy Award’s
biggest accolades, despite the fact that it was in and out of theaters before
award season had even truly began. While there is only so much attention that
needs to be given to award nominations, it is telling that Glenn Close has won
several major awards for her performance, despite being in a nearly unknown
film. While at least part of that seems to be the tendency to reward a career
of performances rather than just the one nominated for, there is no denying
that Close’s performance carries the film.

Having another
film with a score filled with jazz music is not reason enough to consider
Damien Chazelle to be an auteur, but the themes of First Man connect to the filmmaker’s last two works, despite each
existing in a genre of their own. First
Man is a biopic, through-and-through, but one that doesn’t fall into the
usual narrative trappings. On top of that, First
Man contains further evidence of Chazelle’s worthiness as an Academy
Award-winning director, from the spectacular camera work to the effectively
nuanced performances he gets from the capable cast. Every year, there is at
least one film that is shamelessly ignored during award season. This year we
have several (in order to make room for the films that made a lot of money),
but I would put First Man at the top
of the list for under-appreciated films.

There is
something definitive about giving the latest Halloween sequel the exact same title as the original 1978
masterpiece. The expectations become even greater with the knowledge that it is
not a remake, but actually a continuation of that first film. The hype leading
up to this film’s release led me to believe it would be something original,
when the reality is a lot closer to any of the early sequels in the 1980s. In a
lot of ways, the kindest thing I can say about Halloween (2018) is that watching it felt somewhat like discovering
an unseen sequel from the franchise’s past. Even with a female-empowered action
climax, I was disappointed by the film’s lack of creativity and innovation.

I’m certain if
there are fans of the novel by John Bellairs, they will appreciate the nuances
transferred over from that work. But for everyone else, The House with a Clock in Its Walls is likely to resemble numerous
other fantasy family films from recent past. Because of the film’s use of
magic, comparisons to Harry Potter are inevitable, despite being based on a
work that came long before that British behemoth of a franchise ever existed.
While this film adaptation of that classic children’s book is certainly
watchable, assuming the audience member is old enough to handle the frightening
elements, the most original aspect of the production is the choice of director.
And he is likely the reason that younger audience members must be wary of the
content.

I complain about
Hollywood blockbusters often. As a lifelong
fan of genre filmmaking, a film critic and professor, I typically end up seeing
everything that major American studios have to offer, and my experience is
nearly always the same. Desensitized by constant emersion in the big-screen
spectacle and bored by formulaic structure of the narrative, it feels as though
I spend a sad amount of time unengaged while sitting in the increasingly
comfortable chairs of my local multiplex. The movie industry has become just
that; an industry, churning out a product with consistency that seems to be the
death of creativity and innovation. For years, I have complained, and I thought
that the only solution was for the films to get better. But after watching my
first film in 4DX, my entire perspective has been changed. And not just about Hollywood blockbusters. The truth is, after experiencing
the latest advances in public film exhibition provided by CJ Group, including
their 4DX and ScreenX technology, I now see a new direction for the future of
the art form as a whole.

There are no
surprises with Night School,
especially if you have seen the trailer or any of Kevin Hart’s sub-par comedic
releases over the past five years. It is a generic and harmless comedy, the
equivalent of watching a bad sitcom with no real plot structure and a bloated
run-time. After a long day in the reality of the world, there are worse things
than shutting your brain off and watching a stupid comedy. I’m just pretty sure
that if my brain were off enough to enjoy this film, I would probably be dead.
But those who typically enjoy the high-pitched short jokes of Kevin Hart will
likely find this adequate entertainment.

There’s a quote
that I like to refer to when discussing the purpose of watching movies, which
is something I am inclined to do in order to justify the amount of time spent
in front of a screen. There is debate over its origins (I first heard it said
by David Foster Wallace) and the quote discusses art in general, claiming the
function, “is to comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable.” More and
more, it feels like a majority of the films made in America are simply intended to
comfort, to entertain and amuse without too many challenged, intellectually or
emotionally. We are so accustomed to popcorn entertainment in this country that
it is easy to forget how powerful a film can be when the intention is
discomfort instead. Schindler’s List
is exactly this type of film; a masterpiece that is painful to endure. This is
a film everyone should see at least once in their life, and there is now one
more way to view it, with the release of the 25th Anniversary 4K
Ultra HD Edition.